Though the Wende, or "Change," freed the East German people from over forty years of Stalinist dictatorship, remembering the forgotten side of German unification -- when right-wing hooligans waged thousands of attacks on defenseless foreigners -- provides a cautionary tale of failed leadership.

ISIL leaders have connections in the black market of international finance. The real intelligence needed to understand what is going on in the region is not targets for the U.S. Air Force, but the type of financial intelligence General Petraeus tasked General McMaster to find in Afghanistan in 2010.

Despite the religious and political "marketing" of Jihad and martyrdom by al Qaeda, like any good organized crime syndicate, ISIS leadership and sponsors recognize violence as a profitable tool to advance their interests.

A beacon of stability in the Middle East, the Hashemite Kingdom is perpetually challenged by the need to moderate between the monarchy's pro-Western orientation and the Islamist tendencies of the country's population.

Since the dawn of time, the world has witnessed conflict, and since the onset of organized religion, it has played host to sectarian violence. But why is Islamism currently growing so fast, and so widely? The reasons are political and economic.

Except for the large number of Egyptians who had become increasingly frustrated by the disappointing administration of President Mohammed Morsi, no one seems particularly happy over what happened last week.

Tunisia's own transition has been rockier than its quick disappearance from our media radar screen might lead us to think, and Tunisians' experience of Islamist politics has changed the lens through which many here now view Syria.

Although all of Syria's neighbors have been negatively impacted by the country's crisis, Iraq's sectarian tensions and the religious, historical and cultural bonds between Syrians and Iraqis connect the two states' political fates.

The last time I was in Tunisia it was a few months after the fall of Ben Ali, and I wonder how much the country has changed now that a transition government led by the Islamist party Ennahda is in charge.

Parliamentary elections must be held within two months according to the new constitution, leaving Morsi's political opponents on the right and the left licking their chops at an opportunity to exploit economic woes.

The youth also dream of joyful crowds, confetti, Frank Sinatra, "New York, New York"... celebrating New Year's Eve, carefree, with a bunch of friends, a glass of champagne in one hand, dancing and saying, "Happy New Year." Why should this privilege only be reserved to the West?

On December 15, a historic referendum is set to be held on a draft consitution that has further polarized the country, pinning supporters of President Morsi, backed by the Muslim Brotherhood, against a galvanized opposition made up of liberals, socialists and other youth groups.

A highly vital step is in progress aligning the people of the Middle East to a mindset more in sync with the modern world ranging from Asia, emerging Africa, Europe and the Americas whereby faith becomes a builder rather than a destroyer.

As new expressions of democracy sweep across the Arab world, the spectrum of political philosophies -- from secular liberalism to religious ultra orthodoxy -- will struggle for positions of primacy in the development of these societies.

If you thought Egypt's revolution was chaotic, you haven't been following its constitutional process, which is all the more confusing and critical, as liberals and Islamists clash over role of Shariah law.

Following the Arab revolutions of 2011, Islam has forcefully entered the public square, and as political forces jockey for power, we are witnessing a growing duel between radical rejectionists and groups favoring more inclusive engagement.

Morsi's victory is testimony to the Brotherhood's ability to mobilize Egyptians against a deeply entrenched political system, and to convince Egyptians that its candidate was the most capable of taking the helm after Mubarak's removal from power.